What makes a video go viral? The science of memes.

How does a video go viral. Is it random? No. Well, not completely. There is some explanation of it all. What is a ‘meme’? A word derived from ‘gene’, it is an idea/behavior that spreads within a culture. A gene usually spreads vertically [ from parent to child ], although it can also spread horizontally [ through viruses ]. Memes usually spread horizontally. A particular class of memes is internet memes. Internet memes are very rapid in nature, and spread through social media platforms [ read Facebook/twitter ]

Ok, but how do you know if your song-u will attain internet fame?

A researcher [ Dr. Brent Coker ] has devised, what he calls the BVMP algorithm, as an answer to the question, ‘Is my Lolcat LOL enough?’ [ Most of the times, it is. ]

The BVMP basically needs 4 elements in place, for a video to go viral –

? Congruency : This is about maintaining and leveraging a brand’s existing image. In other words, it’s easier for Nike to make a viral video involving soccer, than something else.

? Emotive Strength – Being able to reach the viewer at an intense emotional level, so that the data gets stored in long-term memory. We process loads of data, most of which is not worth another look, and hence, only affects our short-term memory.

? Network Involvement Ratio – The video should be relevant to the targeted audience. Soccer fans will more likely be excited about a soccer video, than a flying ice cream stick!